The Destiny of Shaitan
Laxmi Hariharan
Author: Laxmi Hariharan, www.laxmihariharan.com
Cover design: Peter Ratcliffe, www.peterratcliffe.com
Editor: Julie Lewthwaite, http://www.mlwritingservices.co.uk/
Cover design & all stories copyright Laxmi Hariharan 2012.
All rights are reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
WCAUK Reg No C103956
"The Destiny of Shaitan is mind blowing, dark, humourous, and clever. It took me on a powerful journey inwards, which was a surprise as I'm not generally drawn to scifi or fantasy. I love the scene where the planet is covered with water and Yudi rescues Tiina. It's core message is Unity. I believe it will appeal to people across all ages."
Sonia Ducie Dip.CSN.AIN, Numerologist, Author 11 Numerology books.
Contents
Shaitan’s World
Prologue
Yudi finds Tiina
Arkana
Ka Surya
Thalia
Rai’s journey
Tiina’s Journey
Yudi’s Journey
Reunion
First stop, Elixir
Bombay
Through the Gateway
The other side
This is it
The Seventh Hour
Glossary
Shaitan’s World
Places
Ka Surya: Tiina and Yudi’s home planet, destroyed by Shaitan
Arkana: The planet which is also the Academy of Half Lives
Bombay: Rai’s adopted city; the Gateway to the other side is located here
Pluto: Yudi’s adopted planet
Java: Tiina’s adopted planet
Saturn: Shaitan’s home planet and base from where he rules the world
People
Shaitan: The most powerful Half Life in the universe
Yudi: Shaitan’s first born
Tiina and Maya: The twin princesses of Ka Surya
Rai: Shaitan and Thalia’s son
Thalia: Rai’s mother and Shaitan’s mistress
Mimir: The wise Master and Guardian
Lord Vishnu: The Guardian of the Nectar of Power
Simh: Lion Man
Garuda: Bird Man
Raven: Goddess of War
Fu Zebox: Guardian of the Gateway to the other side
Prologue
The most powerful being in the universe was created in lust and disowned at birth. Shaitan was a love child.
His mother Ira seduced the supreme God Shiva conceiving Shaitan in the divine equivalent of a one-night stand.
When the moment of madness was over, Shiva regretted his lapse. When most needed Shaitan’s powers would fail him, so Shiva fumed at his yet unborn child.
Shaitan next encountered Shiva as a teenager. By then he knew he was different from the rest. The son of a super life-form that he was, there was never any doubt in his mind that he would one day become the ruler of the universe..
Now he had a choice. He could do this step-by-step; the more traditional and more honest way. Following in the footsteps of the human conquerors before him, he could take one kingdom at a time, raze it to the ground and rebuild it his way.
But why take the long torturous route when there was a simpler path to glory. An accelerated five seconds in the limelight leading to a celebrity career kind of method?
Shaitan simply stole Shiva’s weapon, the Trident. A device guaranteed to bestow absolute power on its owner.
Surely as the son of Shiva, he had claim to that which belonged to his father, thought the young Shaitan. Cradling the Trident in his hands, he felt the strength flow right through him uniting the skies above and the world below, with Shaitan at its centre.
It grounded him, the radiant white energy, giving him the power to control everything. Shiva was furious.
He cursed Shaitan to be killed by his first-born. The journey of their lives was thus set in motion. The patterns passed on from father to child to father.
This is Shaitan’s story and the story of all Half Lives, the Half Human – Half Alien race of the future.
Yudi finds Tiina
Tiina wakes with a start.
The nightmare is fresh in her mind. She does not scream out, though. Save her heightened breathing and an increased pulse rate, nothing gives away the horror and dejection the dreams evoke. Swept along by a tide of the inevitable, she knows she is facing her destiny.
Rousing herself, she pulls on her sturdy neoprene jump suit. She snaps on her sleek streamlined running shoes and is about to step out the door, when a sixth sense makes her hesitate. She turns back towards her study table and picks up her sword from its normal place next to her laptop. It is a long sword, just a little short of her own five foot five inch height. She secures it in its leather casing which fits snugly across her back, testing to make sure it does not get in the way of her movements. Its weight feels good, reassuring.
She steps out to be greeted by a blast of the furnace-like heat of the post-apocalyptic morning. Within seconds sweat pools at the base of her spine, sending chills of anticipation crawling across her skin.
She begins to jog at a slow pace. Picking up speed, she has reached a steady sprint by the time she reaches the canal near her home. Running along the lush rows of suikerriet cultivated on both sides of the water, she turns her head to admire the leaves rippling in the breeze. After a lifetime of greys and browns, the green is sheer joy.
Her body settles into a well known rhythm leaving her mind to wander. This is Java, her adopted planet. Where she can shut down the chatter in her mind, and in that stillness, touch that space which is silent.
Nothing like the tossing, churning emotions, the only baggage she has from her home planet of Ka Surya. The memories ignite doubt and despair. With a conscious effort, she shrugs off the unhappiness.
Tiring of the sheer effort involved in the unaccustomed physical act of running, she flicks on the flying activator on her suit and teleports.
It is bold on his part to follow her, considering that Tiina’s sixth sense would have already picked up his trail. Yudi increases his pace and teleports as well, keeping her blurred figure in sight.
This is her, all right, his other half. He is compelled to confirm her identity. Putting on a burst of speed he dives, bringing her down. Together they crash into the shrubs bordering the suikerriet fields.
Tiina swears and straightens herself. Pushing the hair out of her eyes, she looks into a familiar face. Yudi, who has helped her up, takes his palms off her shoulders and holds his hands out in front of her. “It’s me,” he says.
“Yudi?” She splutters, “How did you ...?”
"How did I find you? How many good looking women of half human origin do you think there are on this back of beyond planet?”
“Well, it is not like I was trying to hide!”
“No. You just buried yourself where no one would look.”
“This is a beautiful planet.”
“Sure! A happening place making headlines across the galaxies.”
“It has its virtues ...”
“Like what? The trees?” he asks, looking at the giant metasequoia trees towering over them.Tiina is about to reply when Yudi puts his finger to his lips, quieting her. He angles his head as if hearing something in the distance. Following his example, she tunes o
ut the nearby sounds, focusing on the larger space, and picks up a strange low-pitched buzzing similar to the static on the main frequency of a radio transmitter.
They come from the sky, flying straight at them. Giant killer bees so prevalent on Java they give it a characteristic reddish colour when seen from space. They come in a large seething swarm, an army with a one-track mind, an evident discipline to their ranks.
Each creature is massive, many times the size of Yudi or Tiina, and a terrifying spectacle to behold. Descended from thirteen queen bees released from the now defunct beehives of Java, which were famous for their honeyed delights, the killer bees are an amalgam of the best of their home planets. The innocent beauty of nurturing Java fused with the murderous instincts of the warrior planet, Mars, their short lives spent in equal parts killing all other species while mating in abandon. The survival of the species was almost guaranteed by their strange powers of reproduction instilled by generations of inbreeding.
With little preamble the bees are on them. Yudi puts an arm out in front of Tiina, as if to protect her. Both assume a synchronistic defence manoeuvre. As one, they whip out their swords and swing, slicing through some of them. Others collapse on the ground. Each fallen insect explodes in a flash of white smoke, scattering its life force. Yet for each one that dies, others spring up to take their place. Every drop of fallen blood gives rise to new life. They stretch out into the distance, a sea of bright red. The inherent horror of the situation dawns on Yudi. Legends and mythology, he realises, like history, have a habit of repeating themselves. There is no getting away from the past or from one’s destiny.
A particularly large bee comes straight for Yudi and slams into him, jolting him out of his reverie. The sound of whirring wings fills the air. The pungent smell of the creature overpowers his senses.
The force throws Yudi to the ground, knocking the sword from his hand. Recovering, he manages to avoid the massive legs of the insect, rolls over to the side; grabs back his sword, and swipes at the beast with all his strength, decapitating it.
He throws himself at the head of a long row of the insects taking down quite a few with him and disappearing right into their midst, the rest crawling over him.
Meanwhile Tiina, who is engaged in a battle of her own, looks up in mid-action just as she is swinging her sword at the closest creature. She is horrified to see that the bees form a living, moving sky undulating in front of her, covering the hills, stretched out for as far as the eye can see. Even as she looks on, her line of sight fills with the giant insects, blocking out the light blue of the vapour skies. Tiina shivers involuntarily as the bright light of the Javanese sun is suddenly blocked, and the temperature immediately dips.
She jumps in after Yudi, shoves as many of the creatures as possible out of the way and, reaching Yudi, pulls him to his feet.
“We have to go now. Now!”
Yudi does not waste a second, he wraps his arms around her and teleports them through the skies to his spacecraft, docked in orbit around Java.
They burst into the driving pod of the craft. Yudi slides into the driver’s seat, grabs hold of the joystick and shouts, “Hang on!”
Checking to make sure that Tiina is in her seat, he inches the lever forward, sliding the craft out and into the skies.
As the craft pulls away, Tiina looks back at the planet. Craning her neck, she is amazed to see the familiar hills and valleys of Java taken over by a mass of brown. It is as if a giant dark veil is casting its shadow over the beautiful place.
As he pilots the craft away from the doomed planet, Yudi says, “I agree, it really is a nice planet. Very welcoming, don’t you think?” He glances sideways at Tiina, before turning to give the control panel his full attention.
Tiina’s heart sinks as she continues to watch the fast-diminishing planet. “Why? Why did they attack us?” she asks.
“It’s classic. Species turning against each other. The beginning of the end.”
“Why did you come in search of me anyway?” Tiina asks, then answers her own question. “Wait, let me guess.” She pretends to think for a moment then snaps her fingers. “I get it. Yet again Mimir, the old master, has commanded you to save the world,” she says, trying to mimic his tone. “And of course you have to find me to help you in this. Why is it that it always comes down to you and me, Yudi?"
"Don’t forget Rai."
"How is Rai? Has he decided whether he prefers the male of a species yet?”
“I don’t remember you being so cynical, Tiina. Since when did you let them get to you?”
“Easy for you to say.”
“You haven’t forgiven me.”
“No. Though thanks to you, I did find an entire new life …” Her voice tapers off. “Which I just lost,” she says, looking back at the distant planet formerly known as Java.
“I am sorry, Tiina.” Yudi reaches across and places his hands on hers. “Sorry for then and sorry for now.”
“You apologising is a first. You never did say a word when it mattered.”
“I’m saying it now,” he counters. “I am here to give us a chance.”
“Among other things... You thought I would go along with your promises again, eh?”
Yudi beckons. “Come let me show you what’s happening in the universe.” Putting the spacecraft into auto, he gets up from his seat. Tiina follows him and they go out of the main deck and into the area in its proximity, which serves as the living quarters on the ship. Yudi stops in the centre of the space and turns to face Tiina, who comes to an abrupt halt not more than a few inches from him. Yudi puts his hands on her shoulders and looks deep into her eyes.
“Aw, come on. Surely not here,” Tiina says looking at him with an expectant gleam. In response Yudi leans forward and touches his forehead to hers. Tiina shuts her eyes. She is immediately transported to horrifying scenes of destruction. A strong sense of helplessness grips her, a strange fear grips her heart as scenes of violence unfold before her eyes. She sees men picking up arms against their choice.
Women committing suicide. Cities burnt. The most sacred places on the planet invaded. Her deepest, darkest fears come true. Finally she can take it no more and pulling away from him, exclaims “Stop! Enough! What do you want?”
“Come to Arkana, help me find the stolen Isthmus and save the universe from total destruction.”
“The Isthmus? How do you know it even exists?”
“I don’t. However, I do believe Mimir. When he insisted that I find you and Rai and take on this mission, I could not refuse.”
“So.....we are .... the... saviours?”
Yudi nods. “We always knew we were going to be summoned. The call came a little later than expected.”
“Ten years too late!” snaps Tiina. Then, relenting, she looks at him. “OK. So it had to be the three of us. But, Arkana? I can’t breathe there. The crowds, the sheer number of souls all clustered together in one place, the overpowering feelings, the unavoidable human touch, the smell of so many people packed into such a small space. It kills me.”
“I know, Tiina.”
“Can we not just find the Isthmus and hand it over, without going back to Arkana?”
“It’s not like I have a choice, believe me,” he replies, still on tenterhooks, anticipating Tiina laughing in his face and refusing outright to help him. To some extent, he does not blame her. After all, he did cheat on her ....so it is not as if she owes him anything.
Hoping against hope, he lets out a soft sigh of relief and smiles. “So we’re on then, right?”
Once again, Yudi is wearing that jaunty confident smile, the one Tiina loves to hate. She feels an unreasonable anger bubble up inside again. It is a familiar reaction, one he has elicited from her from the time they first met.
He calls it chemistry.
For her it is more like biology. Absolute senseless lust, combined with wanting to possess and being possessed. She knows that it is akin to a suicidal one-way street.
“Yo
u know, Yudi, this is not a rewind situation, where the scene is frozen, and the characters don’t know what to do with each other!” she snaps.
“Do we know what to do with each other?” he jokes. “Look, I was stupid, completely dense. You are never going to forgive me … or forget the past. But can we bury our differences, for Mimir’s sake, and get on with it?”
“Can’t you just tell me what’s really on your mind? If you could but speak your heart you would save us both so much time!” she exclaims, then, without warning, drops to a fighting stance and punches him in the eye.
“Now we can ...” she says, satisfied.
“Ouch,” Yudi gasps, bringing his hand to his left eye, which is beginning to throb in pain.
“… Be friends, I mean.” Tiina grins and holds out her hand.
“Yes, of course,” he says. Then, putting his hand over hers, he pulls her to him. They look into each other’s eyes for an instant and she is taken aback to find that his lips are not far away from hers.She hesitates for only a moment then, breaking his hold, throws him over her shoulder. “I went to the same school as you, remember?”
Yudi picks himself up trying not to show his bruised ego. Swallowing his pride, he mock bows. “How can I forget? Twice in two minutes. Does that make you feel better?”
“The fight is not over, Yudi.”
He nods. “This is just the beginning.”
“And I’m going to win!”
Yudi holds out his hand. “Shall we shake?”
Brushing past him, Tiina goes through to the main deck and slips into her seat. “Now that we are over the initial pleasantries, can we get on with the business of piloting this craft?”
“Arkana it is,” says Yudi, and puts them on course for their destination.
Arkana
They dock on Arkana.
Yudi jumps out and sets about securing the ship with fast, efficient and much-practised movements. His familiar routine is soothing to Tiina’s eyes.
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